Benjamin Neukom retires from professional hockey

In November of 2022, during a game between EHC Olten, his employer at the time, and EHC Visp, Benjamin Neukom got a stick to his left eye. It has kept him sidelined ever since. "I had hopes of returning to the ice one day", the 32-year-old told "Blick". Hope dies last, but in Neukom's case, it unfortunately did end up dying.

Neukom has undergone several surgeries, the biggest one last summer. "The lens had to be replaced", he notes. As of today, the former member of the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, HC Fribourg-Gottéron and the SCL Tigers is left with eight percent vision in the affected eye. "I have very milky and blurred sight in my left eye. It is particularly difficult in bright, sunny weather."

It remains to be seen what the future has in store for Neukom, since due to the injury, he cannot return to his trained profession, mason.

( 27 February 2024 | esi )